bodypilot1

But Scott? Some people think that just wouldn't be any fun....... Ed www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

I dont think Scott has much bigway RW experience, but lets let him speak up about that. I know he wasn't on any of the bigway RW jumps I have been on. I have been on MANY 100+ways, 246way, 300way, 357way, and the 400way, which you keep refering to as 399. Robi was on the Eloy 300way with me through. With all this input from people that dont even do bigway RW, it's no suprise people are getting called stupid. The only way the large ws formation is going to break off safely is with controlled group breakoffs, period. For this to work, this needs to be practiced as a group, or 2 smaller groups, a quite a few times before the larger formation should be put in the air all together. Does anyone think we just threw the 400way up all together on the first day we were in Thailand? Fuck NO! We did smaller group jumps and sector tracking. If you couldnt prove your performance was good on these smaller jumps, you surely were CUT from the larger formation before you have the chance to ruin it for the rest of the group, or possibly KILL someone! Ed www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

Which is exactly why inexperienced and unqualified pilots should not be on formations of this size. Having a bigway free for all, anybody is invited type of event is dangerous and silly anyway you look at it. Good luck Ed www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

Sounds good in theory, Scott, but we know what happens when someone takes their eyes off of the person they are flying next to, "drift", leading to funnel, and thats not good at the break off. This will even be worst when they have to look behind them and try to stay in the slot if the flery to their left isn't up far enough in his slot. How about at breakoff, before they assume the end flyer has done a 180, the end flyer (tracking leader) of the chevron moves forward enough for the line to see them, and then do a slow carve leading the team away, eventually around to the 180, giving the rest of the group he is leading, a chance to follow and peel off into clear airspace. This will mean as the chevron builds to a double chevron, the back chevron will have to follow the person in front of them and not just peel off a 180, but instaed move forward and let the line follow into a nice controlled carve ending in a 180. Does that make sense? Ed www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

Exactly what I was thinking. It would take alot more discipline though. These days at at breakoff, most in the formation try to out float everyone else next to them at this point in the skydive. With the larger formations, more discipline will have to take place for safety, and good group breakoffs will be a plus. Ed www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

N38’22"6, W121’13"5 For you solo X counrty. Nevermind the R's, it my runway. Congrats Ed www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

Say's you......... Have a great New Year, John. Ed www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

Where: The Parachute Center, Lodi California When: May 2nd 3rd & 4th 2008 No registration fee Jump tickets: $15 to 13K Aircraft: Twin Otter and Beech 99 *Fast/Large Door* Sunset demo on Friday for those qualified :) Lodging and Wine Tour info available. PM me for more details. Special Note: This event will be a qualifier for BOTH upcoming wingsuit record attempts in Nov. Ed www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

The last one is a great picture for size comparison against the Ghost. Ed www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

Glen must have a boner........ Ed www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

I agree. That coastline from altitude looks similar to Monterey Bay looking toward Carmel. Nice. www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

Double pillows were around long before freeflyers. Ed www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

There was never a 300way done in Chicago. We did a 246way there in 1998 though. Ed www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

Just looking at the picture of the 300way I was on in Eloy, I dont see even 1 orange jumpsuit. What 300way are you speaking of 9 yrs ago? Ed www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

How much of that "good pay" is going to health insurance or retirement? After being too old , too beat up, or possibly getting broken up from the tandems, you may realized the "pretty good pay" is a "pipe dream", and the only one making money off of you is the DZO. Ed www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

Sam I have a GS1 that should fit you, if you'd like to use it. Contact me if you'd like me to send it to you. Ed@WestCoastWingsuits.com www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

Tony, A looong time is more then the 3yrs you have been jumping...... And I though Jim was your King? Ed www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

Sacramento International www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

Now why would that piss you off Matt? www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

"its good to be at least a little nervous because being complacid kills." Taken directly from this post here .......http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=161593#161593 www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

PM me your email address. Ed www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

Did someone say, ego? Ed www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

I think thats the goal over then next year. Having set dates for these attempts will only give a time frame for flyers to get better. One thing I'd suggest to flockers wanting to get better for these large formations, is to take off the wingsuit for awhile and go practice how to float and dive better doing basic RW. This will translate better when having your WS on while getting to a large formation. Also I dout the design of the formations, nor the number is set in stone. Ed www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

Many people who were on this load will tell you they were part of the current world record "50-way"... because there were 50 people on 3 Otters (something like that). Look at the picture... does it look like a 50-way to you? I think there's about 33 flyers in frame, but I wouldn't call it a 33-way either. Not really sure what I'd call it. Point is, if we couldn't do a a 33-way a few months ago, why are we trying for something over twice that big next? Look at the FF and RW records... they increase their sizes by small percentages, after success. They don't try to double their size before succeeding at the previous size. While FnD does draw large groups for making formations, is does not draw the best wingsuit flyers, by far, sorry. If the 33 in your picture are at the record attempt, and the the others on that flock practice enough over the next YEAR, there may be a chance it will complete. Many other good pilots from other countries will travel for a goal such as this, and the outlook for something better then a typical Flock n Dock or WestCoast Wingsuits event will conspire. Try not to defeat your goals before they start. Ed www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

Wasn't this same issue brought up when freeflailing evolved into VRW? Mostly by people that had no control of their body in freefall, and felt alienated when people wanted a dive plan I think. All bigway RW includes the rotten task of cutting people unfortunatly. For safety issues, which should rank the highest issue, to performance issues, nobody wants to waste their money jumping when there is a goal in mind. Favoratism and friends of organizers, that remain on formations after screwing up numerous times, is an unjustice to all the others on the formation IMHO. I have been on many large formations and seen this happen, but I'm not going to whine about it, or let let it stand in the way of doing more large formations in the future. There still will be fun flocking going on in the wingsuit world, but I dout we'll see a World Record ZOO flock organized anytime soon though. Both record attempts will lead to wingsuit pilots having goals for better control in the air, rather then seeing who can fly the longest or farthest, and for some people having more control of the wingsuits that are sometimes flying them. Let's try to think of it as a different form of the discipline, and not an alienation..... Ed www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com